Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, has said that it is an act of wickedness to withhold the pensions and gratuities of senior citizens during their vulnerable years.
Obi lamented that greed and an insatiable desperation for material acquisition among political leaders have made life a living hell for others by denying them the fruits of their labor.
The former Anambra State Governor stated this after what he described as “a chilling encounter with an elderly woman” during his official visit to the Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, Enugu State.
Obi said the encounter left him seriously worried about the depth of insensitivity that characterizes the nation’s political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
In a post on his X handle, Obi narrated how the woman lamented that her pension had not been paid despite devoting the productive years of her life to working for the nation.
“My chilling encounter with an elderly woman yesterday has left me seriously worried about the depth of insensitivity that characterizes our political and institutional leadership in Nigeria.
“While interacting with the management and students of Shanahan College of Nursing Sciences, Nsukka, during my official visit to the institution, I noticed this elderly woman struggling desperately to talk to me.
“People around tried to push her away and silence her, but I instantly requested to have a word with her and hear her story.
“She introduced herself as a retired civil servant who devoted the productive years of her life to working for the nation.
“She lamented that for a while, her pension had not been paid. What was more heartbreaking was that she had been sick and admitted to the hospital for over a week, with mounting medical bills, but her immediate worry was that she did not even have one Naira to buy food.
“I felt a surge of anger and pity. Anger at leaders like me, who, out of greed and an insatiable desperation for material acquisition, have made life a living hell for others by denying them the fruits of their labor. And then pity for the poor elderly woman, and many others like her, whose painful stories may never be heard.
“That is the nation we live in—a nation that has lost its sense of humanity and compassion.
“I have said it before, and I still maintain, that any government that withholds the pensions and gratuities of our senior citizens in their vulnerable years is wicked. As a Governor, I inherited and paid off over N30 billion in pensions and gratuities accumulated over the years because I understood the pain the elderly citizens were going through.
“I instantly gave her my little support and promised to follow up her case with the hospital management.
“However, I am more concerned about the many others like her, dying in silence in many parts of the nation, because no one can speak for them. We must fix this nation. Nigeria must work for all, and everyone must get their due rewards for their productive contributions.
“A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO”
